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10/22/2012

CPR and First Aid Training at the Red Cross

Jane had to get recertified for CPR last weekend, so I decided to join her at the Burbank Red Cross for an afternoon of first aid and resuscitation training. Let me tell you all - it was fun and informative. This was a pretty comprehensive course and by the end of the day we were certified in adult and child AED [Automated External Defibrillator]; adult, child and infant CPR [cardiopulmonary resuscitation]; and adult and pediatric first aid. It was challenging, but our instructor, Sharek Manoukian, really moved it along. That's me defibrillating a torso over on the right. 30 fast compressions and 2 rescue breaths, folks. Write that down somewhere where you won't forget it or better yet, download the Red Cross' free first aid phone app. Down below, I was the class model for splinting a busted arm, which reminds me that it's not a bad time to update the first aid / earthquake kit ...

Comments

Is this (http://www.cprtrainingindallastexas.com) cpr training going towards anyone that signs up, or just certain people? I know some people, just citizens, here in Balch Springs TX that would like this knowledge.

The Red Cross website can be tricky to navigate. Start here: http://www.redcross.org/ Then select "take a class" from the top bar. Enter your zip code in the first box, then select "First Aid, CPR and AED for Lay Responders" from the pull-down menu in the second box. Hit the red "Find Classes" button and you're good to go.

Also - just because we did the Red Cross, it doesn't mean they're the only game in town. The American Heart Association offers similar classes, maybe even for less $ and they're still credible. They have more of a franchising method of teaching classes, which seems to be the case with the Code 3 training course. That also makes it a real pain to figure out if you're getting a better deal on the price / level of service than if you're dealing with the Red Cross, but also more likely that they'll be having a training class at a nearby community center. Worth a check out. http://www.heart.org Since I'm a survivor of two "cardiac incidents" myself, I'd appreciate everyone getting up to speed on CPR/First Aid at the "Friends and Family" level, and I'll do the same for you too!